Chapter 19: Returning ıı
I entered the house, the warmth seeming like a comforting embrace. The journey through the rain and the encounter with that homeless man still weighed heavily on my mind. I knew I needed to act quickly and come up with a believable explanation for my sudden absence.
My mother's car was nowhere to be seen in the driveway, which meant I had a small window of time to get in touch with my friends and piece together the missing hours. I couldn't afford to let my secret life as a mercenary slip through the cracks. I picked up my phone and quickly sent a message to Nate and Liz, keeping it vague and urgent:
"Need to meet up ASAP. Something went down during the mission. Will explain in person. Can you guys make it?"
Within minutes, I received responses from both of them. Nate was first to reply, "On my way. Stay safe, buddy." Liz's response was equally swift, "I'm in. Let's meet up"
Relieved that my friends were willing to meet me, I moved on to the next task. I needed to concoct a plausible story to tell my mother, something that would explain my absence without raising suspicion. As I thought about it, the minutes ticked by, and my concern for my friends' safety grew. I had left them in the dark, not knowing where I was or what had happened to me.
It was then that my phone buzzed with a notification from the app. I hesitated before opening it, fearing the worst. To my surprise, the message was from the same administrator who had left the note earlier:
[Mission compensation and bonus received: +$20,000.]
I was baffled. The mission hadn't gone well, and I had lost a significant amount of money on the medivac. I quickly checked my balance, and to my amazement, I now had $11,700. It seemed that the administrator had compensated me for the difficulties I had faced during the mission. But why? And what did this mean for the future?
With my finances somewhat stabilized, I could now focus on preparing my story for my mother. I decided to tell her that I had been mugged and injured, which was why I couldn't call. The lie left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I couldn't reveal the dangerous truth about my life as a mercenary.
As I awaited my friends' arrival, I made a mental note to discuss this strange turn of events with Nate and Liz. We needed to figure out why the administrator had compensated me and what it meant for our future missions. The life of a high school mercenary was proving to be even more complex and unpredictable than I had ever imagined.
Nate and Liz arrived at our new meeting spot, a secluded area in an abandoned industrial complex. Their concerned expressions mirrored my own, but we had a job to do, and our discussions couldn't wait.
Liz broke the silence, her voice tinged with worry, "So, what happened out there? You had us scared for a moment."
I decided to keep the details about the mission to a minimum. "It was a complicated situation. I got injured, and the extraction took longer than expected. But we've got something more pressing to discuss."
Nate leaned forward, his eyes focused. "What is it? Did something go wrong with the mission?"
I took a deep breath and recounted my unexpected encounter with the homeless man and the peculiar compensation from the mission administrator. The three of us exchanged concerned glances, realizing that something was amiss.
Nate scratched his head, deep in thought. "It's unusual for the administrator to compensate you after a mission gone wrong. This doesn't add up."
Liz, always meticulous with her research, chimed in, "We need to dig deeper into the app and the people behind it. We've been operating in the dark for too long, and now it's becoming a risk."
I nodded in agreement. "I've been thinking the same thing. We need to be more cautious and learn as much as we can about the administrator and the system we're using."
Our resolve to unveil the secrets of the mission app strengthened. We agreed to dedicate our time not only to training but also to understanding the system we had become entangled with. Liz would use her computer skills to trace any connections or vulnerabilities, while Nick and I would investigate further.
Over the following weeks, our research uncovered some unsettling truths. The administrator behind the mission app remained shrouded in anonymity, leaving no digital footprint or traceable information. It was as if they operated from the shadows with complete impunity.
The meeting continued late into the night, with Nate, Liz, and me pooling our resources to gather more information about the mysterious administrator and the organization behind the mission app. We realized that our quest for answers would be challenging, but we were determined to uncover the truth.
As we wrapped up the meeting, Nate spoke up, his tone resolute, "We'll continue to dig deeper and stay cautious in our missions. We'll protect each other, no matter what."
Liz nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting the determination we all shared. "Our priority is to stay safe and learn as much as we can. If we're going to navigate this world, we need to do it with our eyes wide open."
With a renewed sense of purpose, we parted ways, each heading back to our homes. The knowledge that we were now a united front in this dangerous game provided a sense of security and motivation.
When I returned home, I found my mother's car parked in the driveway. Anxiety welled up within me as I realized I needed to explain my sudden disappearance. She was bound to have questions, and my fabricated mugging story needed to be convincing.
I entered the house, my heart racing, and was met with a mix of emotions. My mother sat in the living room, her eyes tired but filled with a combination of worry and relief. As she spotted me, her face transformed with a mixture of happiness and concern.
"Honey, where have you been? I was so worried," she said, her voice filled with genuine care.
I quickly moved closer to her, feeling a deep sense of guilt. "I'm so sorry, Mom. I got mugged, and they injured me. They took my phone and wallet, and I couldn't call for help. It was a really bad situation."
She gasped, her hand reaching out to touch my face gently. "Oh, my dear, I'm just glad you're okay. I was so scared something terrible had happened to you. We'll report this to the police tomorrow."
I nodded, feeling a weight of remorse for keeping her in the dark about the truth. "Yeah, we should definitely do that. I just want to put this behind us."
She hugged me tightly, and I couldn't help but feel both a sense of relief and a pang of guilt for the secrets I was harboring. My double life as a high school mercenary remained hidden, and I was willing to go to great lengths to protect my mother from the dangerous truth.
The coming days and weeks would be fraught with more challenges and revelations, but for now, I needed to focus on maintaining the delicate balance between my secret life and my responsibilities at home.
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